System and means of elevating fluid



05 1930- Q J. H. SLOCUM 1,759,467

SYSTEM AND MEANS OF ELEVATING FLUID Filed Sept. 20, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Jose bl; Howard 5/0 cum;

' A TTORNEYS May 20, 1930. J. H.' SLOCUM SYSTEM AND MEANS OF ELEVATING FLUID Fliled Sept. 20, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Jose 9 Hon am 5/00/11);

ATTORNEYS Patented Ma 20,1930

I UNITED STATES PATENT orrica f J'OSEPH H. SLOCUM, or Los ANGELES, CALIFORNIA SYSTEM ANDMEANS .OF ELEVATING FLUID will be generally superior from the standfinally pointed ou,t in claims.

point of -efiiciency,-economy and serviceability, taken in conjunction with inexpensive ness in cost, installation, utilization. and maintenance, and facility of control, and which will be generally superior for the purposes for the accomplishment of which the invention is adapted. v

I With the above and other objects in view, the inventionconsists in the novel and use ful provision, formation, association, combination, relative arrangement and conjoint use and grouping and sequence of parts, members, features, steps and acts, all as hereinafter described, shown in the drawings, and- In the drawings: Figure l is a side elevation, partly broken away and partly in section and partly con-' ventional, in illustration of the utilization of my improved process of elevating fluids and of one form or organization of apparatus adapted for use to-such ends, such apparatus being shown as introduced in part within a well hole and easing therein; 4 v

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of the disclosure in Figure 1, of features which are introduced within the well hole; x

F igure 3 is a further enlarged fragmentary sectional view of valve means introduced within the tubing or piping shown in-Figures 1 and 2; I Figure 4 is an enlarged detail fragmentary sectional view, partly in elevation, and partly broken away, of further features shown in Figures 1 and 2 and adapted to be introduced within the well hole; I

Figure 5 is a detail vertical sectional view taken upon the line 55, Figure 4, looking in the direction of the appended arrows; and,

Figure 6 is a detail transverse sectional view taken u n the line 6-6, Figure 5, and looking in 't e direction of the appended arrows.

Application filed September 20, 1923. Serial No. 663,914

- Corresponding parts in all the figures are designated by the same reference characters.

Referring with particularity to the drawings, I have shown in Figure -1 at A a string of easing or tubing introduced within a well hole B which has been produced in earth formation C, there being disposed within such tubing or casing 21- string or plurality of lengths of pump tubing D through which liquid, such as oil, is to be elevated to the surface and conducted to a tank E or other repository or point of discharge. This tubing l) is provided at spaced points or in spaced zones with standing valves E of standard or any preferred form, including, inthe illustration shown in the drawings, in each'instance, a ball check valve e within a cage 7, such cage having an uprising stem 8 terminating in an eye 9, which may be'engag'ed by a grab device or fishing tool of any desired construction for the purpose of unseating and withdrawing the standing valve and lifting it to the surface prior to pulling the pump tubing from the well and uncoupling it secti'on by section. In this manner any accumulated fluid in the pump tubing may be dis charged therefrom prior to pulling the tubing. A convenient and satisfactory grab device or fishing tool for the purpose last stat-ed constitutes the subject of another application for Letters Patent for grab device or fishing tool filed by me simultaneously with the filing of this application and executed by me the same day. I

In practicing my present invention, I provide a further string of tubing F, which may consist of separate joints or sections coupled together, and'which depends within the well I hole or tubing A therein alongside the string of tubing D, such tubing being preferably of smaller internal diameter and being coupled or joined to or with the tubing D by a coupling or union f, which comprises a main tubular or body portion 10 which is angled outwardly and downwardly into a lower terminal portion 10, which is coupled or joined to a strainer G or lower terminal portion of the tubing D by a coupling 9, which may constitute a cage for a. ball check valve 11 having a seat- 12' n such coupling and. serving to check return flow of fluid to the strainer G. At one side'of the lower portion of the coupling 7 is provided a transverse tubular portion 10, opening at one end laterally and upwardly for. communication with the lower end of the tubing F which is interrupted just above such chamber 10' to includea housing or coupling 13 for a check valve 14 provided with a-seat 15, such check valve being dis closed as of the flap valve type and acting to prevent return or upward flowof fluid forced orpassed downwardly through the tubing F from a pump H of any preferred orv suitable type, mounted on a base It at-the earths surface adjacent to the -'mouth of the well hole and adapted to supply oil or'other fluid, preferably heated, tdthe tubing F, such fluid being supplied through piping-K from a tank orcontainer L within .which such fluid, such as oil, supplied thereto through a pipe 1 from the pump tubing D, may be suitably heated as by a steam coil 16 receiving steam through a branch pipeor leg 17 from a steam pipe 18 supplying steam to the pump H from a suitable steam plant M. Thus,a portion of the oil or other fluid recovered from the instant well may be diverted for use in accordance with the invention and, preheated if desired, introduced within the well hole and forced into the well tubing D through the coupling f. The other end of the chamber 10" in the coupling f communicates with an upward extending nozzle 10 which rises within and throughout its majbr-portion is sur-' rounded by-the upper pprtion of the coupling f, where it extends vertically, at '10, and is joined to the pump tubing, as by. an enlargement 10 havingthreaded connection with the coupling 7. Thus,'the coupling 7' comprises a lower vertical or substantially vertical portion, an intermediate upwardly inclined portion, 10', add an upper terminal portion 10, within which the nozzle 10 opens; such coupling likewise including the. chamber 10 whereby such nozzle communicates with the tubing F. The thread connection 10 between tubing F and coupling 7 is preferably a left-hand thread, whereby the tubing F may be uncoupled and pulled before pulling the tubing D. t v I I In the practice ofthe invention and utilization of apparatus embodying the same and of the process incident to such practice, whether by use of the specific a paratus disclosed and heretofore described or by other analogous or equivalent apparatus, as, for instance, for the elevation of oil from deep wells, let it be assumed that the oil in suchwell stands at the level indicated by the words fluid level in Figure 1. Thus, fluid will stand in the pump tubing D above the nozzle 10. Thereu on the tubing F is supf plied with fluid as rom the tank L through the agency-of the pump H,,and, such fluid being so supplie'dby the pump under pressure,

a jet action will be produced at the top of the nozzle 10 within thecolumn of fluid standing in the coupling 7. This jet action will disturb the balance-or. equilibrium between the column of fluidin the tubing D and the parallel column in the tubing F, and, by induction, produce "an upward u'rgeor movement of the fluid in the pump tubing D. Likewise, the agitation produced by such jet action will tend to disassociate or separate the gaseous content of the fluid, in'the case of hydro-carbon oils, and such liberated gas bubbles will produce levitation upon the fluid standing in the pump tubing and tend to cause it to ascend. This agitation of the oil produces an effect similar to that resultant upon shaking of a siphon bottle filled with fluid charged with carbonic acid gas,or a soda water .bottle similarly filled and charged, the

energy of the liberated gaseous content pro ducmg an ebullition or boiling translated into ascending or discharge action of the l1qu1d contents. Likewise, if the fluid forced downwardly through the tubing F be heated,

ment of such column. Thus, the fluid in the tubing D receives an upward urge through gaseous levitation, by diminished air pressure 1n the tubing D due to partial vacuum created, and by the jet action or induction, resultant in mechanical lift consequent upon the introduct1on of the fluid from the tubing F into the tubing D through the nozzle 10. All of these acts promote and maintain. either taken together or separately applied, a discharge of the fluid from the well, such fluid being impounded from zone to zone within the pump tubing by the check valves E. I

It is obvious that the invention may be utilized and applied in connection with the elevation of other fluids than hydrocarbon oils, and for other pumping purposes, both as to the various and several features of the liquid in the lower end of an eduction tube oil heated to a temperature sufiicient to gasify said constituent, the introduction of the second mentioned liquid being in such a way as to produce an entrainment of the first mentioned liquid. Y 4

2. The method of elevating oil having a name to this specification.

\ JOSEPH SLOCUM. 

